This invention relates to the field of levels for use in bending conduit and the like. More particularly, a pendulum line level is presented which uses the force of gravity acting on a rotatable disc to determine the orientation of the level to the horizontal plane.
There are many types of levels known in the workplace. The most common type of level is the bubble level, which utilizes an air bubble in liquid, encased in a vial, to determine the orientation of the level, and hence the workpiece, to the horizontal plane or other angle. One problem encountered in using a normal bubble level is that the bubble is hard to read and the level is imprecise, since it involves centering a bubble between two lines. It is an object of this invention to provide a precise and calibrated level for determining the orientation of a workpiece.
One other problem with the bubble level is that the bubble is often difficult to see, particularly when the level becomes covered with debris or other material. It is a still further object of this invention to provide a line level which is easily readable and easily viewable even under less than ideal conditions.
Bubble levels also suffer from the inherent drawback that they are unable to measure more than one angle (90 degrees, 45 degrees, 30 degrees, etc.) per one bubble vial. Therefore, it is not uncommon to find levels with a number of bubble vials spaced apart on the level in order to read different discreet angles. Even then, it is not possible for the bubble level vials to be used for non-uniform angles, such as 35 degrees or 55 degrees, without the use of many additional vials. It is a further object of this invention to provide a single level having a pair of indicator discs for reading a wide number of varied angles, between the 0 to 90 degree arc.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a pendulum line level which is capable of allowing the workman to calibrate the relative angle of a workpiece precisely. Other and further objects of this invention will become obvious upon reading the below described Specification.